The only
supplement that you should need is hairball medicine (Laxatone, Femalt).
This will loosen any accumulated hair in the cat’s stomach and
he should pass it or throw it up. Used regularly, it should pass.
Most cats love it and all that you have to do is offer a bean-sized
blob on your finger for him to lick off. If for some reason he doesn’t
like it, try Femalt’s Fish flavor (as opposed to the Malt flavors
of the others) or smear it on his paw for him to clean off.

Additionally, several manufacturers now offer a hairball control dry
food. The extra fiber in this food helps the fur pass through the
cat's system. Use alone or mix with your cat's current food.

If the
skin or fur begins to feel dry, add a couple of drops of Lipiderm
or flax oil to his wet food. DO NOT ADD VEGETABLE OIL. Lipiderm and
other skin supplements contain Omega Fatty Acids which will improve
the textures of the fur and skin. Oils really won’t do this,
and cats can breathe the oil droplets into their lungs.

Because
you are feeding a completely balanced diet, you shouldn’t have
to give any other supplements. If you think that your cat may have
any other dietary problems, talk to your vet.

GROOMING

Russians
are pretty low maintenance as far as grooming. Comb them with a medium
to small toothed metal comb every few days (they will like it because
they think that they are getting attention). This will remove any
loose fur before they ingest it and it forms a hairball.

Nail
clipping is pretty easy. Remember, your cat has had his nails clipped
from the time he was only a few weeks old, so he is used to it. Get
a good pair of nail clippers. These will be easier for you to manage
and you will do a better job. Cradle the cat on your lap and push
up on the pad of the foot to make him display his nails. Russians
have a translucent nail, so the pink vein is easy to see. Cut just
beyond the vein. Don’t hit that vein or he will bleed, be in
pain, and not trust you for a while. Quickly do each foot (back ones,
too). Then, (secret hint here) give him his hairball medicine. Most
cats think that it is a treat, and you can kill two birds with one
stone. Some of ours can’t wait to have their nails clipped because
of this. We recommend that you clip once a week.

Examine
ears weekly. If they are dirty, put some olive oil on a Q-tip or cotton
pad and swab out the ear.

We do
not advocate Russian Blues (or any other indoor cats) wearing collars.
Cats should remain indoors......and Russians have very little desire
to be outside. If you absolutely feel that your cat must wear a collar
make sure that it is a breakaway collar. A regular decorative collar
could easily kill or maim your cat! The collar may hang on something
and strangle your cat. Also, he may try to work to collar off, only
to work a leg though the collar - this collar will then proceed to
cut through the skin at the leg joint, maiming or killing the cat.

CORRECTING
BEHAVIORS

Russians
are very smart cats and generally can be disciplined. Consistency
is the key. The same action must get the same response all of the
time; it can’t be right to do something sometimes and not right
other times. If he is doing something undesirable (getting on the
counters, for example) catch him in the act and shout "NO"
(or "DOWN" if appropriate). If that doesn’t work,
repeat "NO" and shoot him with a water-filled squirt bottle.
Remember, you can’t go back and discipline, because one minute
later he won’t understand what he has done wrong.

Do not
ever let your cat do anything once that you will not want him to do
again! For example, if you don’t want them trying to steal food
from your dinnerplate, then never give them a treat from the table.
If a cat does not realize that something is available, he won’t
seek it out.

Most
Russians will not scratch furniture if you provide them with plenty
of alternatives. Regular scratching posts are fine, but most seem
to prefer the rougher types covered with sisal rope. Flat cardboard
scratching boxes (Bizzy Kitty) are great too. Rub catnip into them
well and they will go crazy. The key here is to have plenty around;
only one small post off in a back room just isn’t going to cut
it when the urge strikes. And remember, because their nails are clipped,
they should do little damage anyway.

Never
call your cat if you are going to punish him or do something that
you know that he won’t like (such as going to the vet). If you
do, he will never trust you again.

LITTERBOXES

This
should seem obvious, but a cat should have easy access to his litter
box. If he has to travel two flights of stairs or go through some
other type of maze, he may decide to seek out an alternative that
you may not approve of. It should also be large enough for your cat
to move around in. We personally prefer the covered variety –
they help keep the odor down.

Use whatever
type litter your cat seems comfortable with but if you use a clay
litter, stay with the unscented variety. We use a pine pellet litter.
It is lightweight, you use a much smaller amount of it than the clay
variety, it seems to control odor much better, and doesn't leave a
clay residue all over everything in the room. A Berber–style
mat in front of the box will catch most loose litter that your cat
tracks out.

(Personal
note: Equine pine bedding - found at feed stores - is identical to
the pine pellet litter, except that it cost 1/3 as much. Should you
not have a feed store or the like nearby, Petsmart has their own version
of the pine litter, which is significantly cheaper than the national
brand)

PLAYTIME

Russians
love to play, and most like to play rough. Give them fur toys that
they can bat, carry and kill, balls to bat around, and paper bags
and boxes to hide in. Vacuum cleaner belts are great because they
can toss them, but they are big enough that they can’t destroy
them. Watch your cat with a new toy - some rough players can hurt
themselves if they ingest something that they have destroyed. Give
them feather "birds" on a string or mylar kitty teasers
- but only with supervision. Put them away someplace where your kitten
cannot get to them when playtime is over so that she won’t
eat them.